Day 5 - Every Day Art Month

I've been doing art every day this month but haven't posted every day .... I'm signed up for the Art Every Day Month challenge online - and find the prompts keeping me active - basically been sketching briefly and continuing to make my vision accordion book for my goals/plans for the rest of the year and next year as well -

                                 http://creativeeveryday.com/art-every-day-month

front and back covers - accordion book 

front/back cover inside before attaching to accordion book

Accordion book beginning stages

Faces

Bird wing 

Art Every Day Month

Have decided to step away from Facebook and Twitter and return to my original blog - and the best way to do that for me is to reconnect to the Blogging community and to create art every day - so I found Leah Piken Kolidas' blog where she is offering a daily connection for the month of November - since she's done this for the past 9 years (where have I been?) I decided to jump in - so here it is day 1 -



http://creativeeveryday.com/aedmlogored.gif

So I start with a quickly made accordion book - using water colors on scrap paper - I will be adding pockets to the pages and then creating tags with activities and goals (something like a vision board but in book form) to help me plan the next three months and beyond into 2012. My idea is not to make the most creative or beautiful book but just something likable thrown together quickly to serve a purpose.










I plan to do a variety of things this month - giving myself permission to just do whatever I feel like - as long as it's art - that can be drawing in my journal - prepping for classes - making pages for the chunky technique book for Art Unraveled 2012 - working in my sketchbook for the Sketchbook Project - or whatever else comes up - just as long as I do something! I'm trying to create a habit that seems to have fallen by the wayside for a variety of reasons - most of which don't really matter - just getting back on the horse so to speak! So stay tuned and see what comes out of this motivational experiment - want to join me? You can still sign up by clicking on the link and signing up with Leah - what have you got to lose? Happy Creating!!!

One Time Only Opportunity!

I could spend a lot of time explaining why my blog has been silent since August - but I'm anxious to tell you about my exciting offer - so I'll say it simply....Facebook!

I'm very excited to be teaching a one day class at a new venue here in California on Sunday 11/15/09 - it's out in Augora - horse country - in a beautiful space owned by Lisa LaRosa. (lisalarosa.blogspot.com) As many of you know, besides my work as an artist, I am also a Creative Life Coach and work with all types of creative people. I like to incorporate some of my coaching tools into my classes so that my students come away with more than just art techniques and a completed project, but also have new skills to use in other areas of their lives as well.

I know that money is tight for everyone so I am making this special one-time offer - when you pay for this class I have made special arrangements with Lisa to include lunch with my class - and for the next 5 students to sign up - you will get a one hour phone-coaching session with me (value $100) for free. So for $140 - you get a one day class - a free lunch and a one hour phone coaching session valued at $100 - amazing!

If you're still on the fence about taking this class or spending the money on yourself....think about this - the techniques you will learn in this class and the project you will create could be a gift for a friend or loved one for the upcoming holidays. One gift out of the way and a day of art and relaxation for you!

So go over to the site - click on my class and sign up - be one of the lucky 5 who get the extra perks! I promise you a day filled with art, laughter and more - after all this is all about you!

The Gifts of Teaching ....

Finally coming up for air after another amazing week in Phoenix at the 7th annual Art Unraveled.  I must admit that I've been having withdrawal - as many have.  If you've never been to an art retreat and to AU in particular, there's magic that happens from the moment you set foot in the door of the venue.  Life as you know it in the "real world" is temporarily suspended and it's like being at camp, a carnival, school, and a big sleep over with your favorite cousins. Thank you, Linda, Chuck and crew and all the talented teachers for another wonderful event...more about my trip in a later post.

This past Sunday, I had the distinct privilege to do something else that I adore - teach a class.  For me, teaching is like nothing else I do in my life.  When I teach, I'm able to guide others in exploration and experimentation, while being of service to my students.  While doing this, I too get gifts from my students...the joy I see when they discover that they can indeed create;  the switch they make from feeling intimidated to exploring the tools, medium and their creativity with enthusiasm; and experiencing the students exuberance and gratitude at the end of the class. 

Nancy Dolan - from nurse to artist 

Another gift of teaching for me is introducing eager new students to the world of collage and mixed media and art in general.  Yesterday I had that privilege.  I watched as one of my students with no knowledge of this medium or the tools we use, dove in and created a beautiful book.  Watching her walk through uncertainty, which turned to smiles and laughter as she allowed herself to play and get in touch with her creativity, warmed my heart.  Being in her shoes not too long ago, I was thrilled to pass the torch.  

Carol Rothman - former kindergarten teacher now 2nd grade teacher to artist 

Marjorie Grace-Sayers - music teacher/musician - mother of four - turned artist 

Yesterday,  a small group of students joined me in a spontaneous last minute announced class at VIVA Gallery upstairs studio in Sherman Oaks.  As we gathered, an opening for a new exhibit was happening downstairs in the gallery, which made for a festive mood and an inspiration for my students.  The class was called "All About Me".   We discussed how as women, we are nurturers and caretakers in many areas of our lives.  I asked the students to give themselves permission to focus on "me" (each of them) for this class.  Some found that it was a difficult task making that switch.  

Carol Rothman with her completed book - her word was "evolving" 

Carol's back cover 

Carol's front cover - with stitched pocket and hand made silk tie-died ribbons

Nancy Dolan's book - her word was "becoming"

Nancy's back cover 

Nancy's front cover using found objects 

Each student was asked to think of a word or words that best described where they were in their lives at this time.  They were to keep that word in mind as they created their accordian book.  Using beautiful papers, crackle paints, distress inks, stamps, ephemera and more, the students created "a place"  just for them and their thoughts and dreams.  The results were beautiful and the few hours spent creating art and focusing on themselves was enlightening for all who participated.  

Marjorie with completed book - she chose "All About Me" as her words 

Marjorie's front cover

I am so grateful for the gift of teaching and for the students who allow me to share what I know with them as they explore their incredible creativity.  Life is good and I am truly blessed. 

Disintegration Project - The Big Reveal

Taaa- taaa- taaa- daaaaaaa! Get ready for the big reveal of the result of participating in Seth Apter's wonderful Disintegration Project on his blog The Altered Page - over 100 artists participated starting back in January of this year. We were to place all kinds of ephemera etc out in the elements and leave them until August 1 when we would share what happened on our blogs. Living in Southern California I was at a bit of a disadvantage compared to my northern and east coast artist participants. I placed my pages of an old dictionary tied with twine and some shipping tags on my little balcony and made sure that when I watered my plants I watered my art experiment too. Since we have very little rain where I live I figured that would be okay to help it along a bit and add to the aging of the sun on my pages.

My original post (January 28, 2009 - Disintegration - Seth's Project) on this blog about this project allows me to see the difference in aging and disintegration that transpired over eight months. I began to create an art piece as I looked at my aged dictionary pages. Here's what I created using the rolled dictionary pages, the aged dictionary cover, aged and weathered shipping tags, some netting and twine all glued to cardboard (the backing for watercolor paper tablet that I saved).



The tags say: Words Without Knowledge Bind Thinking...I came up with them after completing the binding of the dictionary pages under the netting. I love words and learning and teaching and somehow this art piece speaks to me.






A million thank you's to Seth and to all the other wonderful artists who participated.







If nothing else comes from this art piece - this is enough. Enjoy and I welcome your comments!

PS - a small disclaimer about my photos - had to take them with my cell phone because my camera died last night! Double click on the photos to see a larger version with details.

Confessions of a Facebook Newbie

2006 me at the top of Masada, Israel

Okay...I admit it! I have a new addiction - oy! I finally took the plunge and joined Facebook. I had resisted for some time because I know myself and I knew that anything new with lists or photos or such will become an obsession for me. I'm one of those weird people that gets a new directory for an organization I belong to and immediately have to read every name and highlight the ones I know. Or if there's a bibliography in the back of a book, I have to highlight all the books I've read from the list. A true addict. I know myself. So, knowing this whenever I would get e-mails from friends asking me to join FB, I deleted them to avoid the temptation. But as time went by, and everyone was on MySpace, FB, and Twitter, I began to feel left out. It made me feel old and out of the newest hip thing. I began to question my thinking - what was I missing? What do they know that I don't? It reminded me of when I was not invited to a party in school or not invited to join the top club. I have always wanted to be part of the group. But after 19 years of sobriety and now confronting my addiction to food (I have now lost 25 lbs and 20 1/2 inches and am on week 22 of giving away my weight), I know myself.

Upstairs room at the church at Fountain & Fairfax - my very first AA mtg. 3/1/1990

Then someone I know who I really respect, went on and on about how Facebook is a great way to promote her business. That was it. The excuse I had secretly been searching for. I could join FB without any guilt to promote my Creative Coaching business and mixed media and writing classes. And besides it's free! Without another thought, excuse or hesitation, I found myself filling in my info on the FB registration. In less than 30 seconds I was in! I was at the party. I was in the club. Wow! Pretty harmless.

1981 - Me - Club Med show - Playa Blanca, Mexico

It was all pretty user friendly and I'm a quick study so within a couple of minutes I got how it all worked. At first I thought it was ridiculous. People posting that they're leaving work or posting things as if they're speaking just to me. Stupid, I thought. Why would people do that? Why would anyone care? I was wrong. This won't be addictive. As an old PR person, I'll only use it to promote business things. And that would have happened, if only I didn't discover that I could look at other folks friends lists. Once I discovered this, my addiction took hold and I found hours had passed by without moving from my computer. Okay, this is really embarrassing but I would click on a friend to request that they join my friend list. And then I would have to look at their list to see if I knew anyone on their friend page, which I most likely did. And then I'd see someone I knew from the past and click on their list. Just like when you hold a mirror up to another mirror to see "infinity" that's what FB became for me.

1978 - me channeling Ms. Streisand - Atlanta, GA

On a positive note...I've been a member of FB for over a week now and the novelty has worn off somewhat. I've connected with old high school friends and friends from productions I worked on almost thirty years ago. I'm actually going to meet a few of them for lunch. I do promote business things on my FB page. But I admit I now tell my "friends" when I'm off to the vet or going to a screening at the TV Academy and I do check FB many times during the day. I notice that I feel better connected to the outside world. There's an expression that says "contempt prior to investigation". I think I understand that phrase much better now :) But don't ask me join Twitter....

Remembering a Legend...

It's hard to believe that today marks 41 years since Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated. He was the youngest person (age 35) ever awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. That year - 1968 - was a year of unrest and unbelievable events. Not only was Dr. King murdered but also Robert F. Kennedy - right here in Los Angeles at the Ambassador Hotel. Powerful voices silenced by hate and prejudice. I remember that day and I remember them. (I lived in Atlanta during the time Dr. King lived and preached there. And I lived in Los Angeles and worked on a film project at the Ambassador hotel after it was turned into a production house for film projects. I was working there when the LA Riots broke out and watched from the roof as our city burned all around the hotel and beyond.)

Each leader spoke out with their truth even when voices tried to silence them. As I reflect on this historic sad and shameful day in our history, I ask myself questions. What lessons can I learn from these brave men to practice in my own life? How do I silence myself when I think my voice will speak a different point of view? How am I a light in the world by being of service to others? Do I allow my creative voice to speak or do I censor myself because it is not the voice I hear others speak? Do I speak out when I see injustice in the world, my country, my community or do I think that someone else will do it for me? And I wonder what our world would be like today if these voices had not been silenced?